Export of North Korean arms to Russia ‘blatantly violates multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions,’ allies say
Michael Gabriel Hernandez
WASHINGTON
The US and seven allies accused Russia on Wednesday of exploiting its role as a permanent member of the UN Security Council to shield itself from the repercussions of its use of North Korean missiles in Ukraine.
“The export of these weapons from the DPRK to Russia blatantly violates multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions that prohibit UN Member States from procuring arms or related materiel from the DPRK and prohibit the DPRK from exporting arms or related materiel,” the US, UK, France, Japan, Malta and Slovenia said in a statement.
They were referring to North Korea by its formal acronym.
“Each violation makes the world a much more dangerous place. And a permanent Security Council member that willingly engages in these violations demonstrates a clear exploitation of its position,” the nations said in reference to Russia.
The statement comes after the White House said last Thursday that Russia used ballistic missiles supplied by North Korea in attacks on Ukraine during the New Year holiday. The weapons were “recently” transferred from Pyngonang, and were used in at least two strikes, it said.
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said North Korea continues to seek a wide array of military equipment from Russia in return for its supplies of weapons, including fighter jets, surface-to-air missiles, armored vehicles, equipment to build additional ballistic missiles and other advanced technologies.
North Korea has been under a sweeping UN arms embargo since 2006. The sanctions have since been repeatedly tightened to include the import and export of nearly all types of weapons.
During a UN Security Council meeting Wednesday, the US accused Russia of attempting to “deflect” when pressed on its alleged acquisition of North Korean arms. “It’s abhorrent that a permanent member of the UN Security Council is flagrantly violating Council resolutions to attack another UN member state,” it said.
Russia, Ambassador Robert Wood told the Council, that it “is desperate to deflect attention away from its, and the DPRK’s, violations of UN Security Council resolutions, including the UN arms embargo, which prohibits all member states from procuring arms or related material from the DPRK and prohibits the DPRK from exporting arms.”
Vassily Nebenzia, Moscow’s UN envoy, accused Washington of “spreading information that is wrong without going through the trouble of checking this beforehand.”
Meanwhile, attacks against Ukraine have escalated in the new year, the UN warned.
“The new year has brought no respite to Ukraine. On the contrary, in recent weeks, the country has been suffering some of the worst attacks since the beginning of the illegal war,” Rosemary DiCarlo, under-secretary-general for political affairs, told the Council.
“Civilians in frontline communities bear the heaviest burden of the missile, drone and artillery barrages,” she said.
“It’s abhorrent that a permanent member of the UN Security Council is flagrantly violating Council resolutions to attack another UN member state,” it said.
Yeah, and you will do sweet FA about it, except expel CO2. It’s time this trash organisation did the honourable thing, and dissolved itself, it’s usefulness is well past it’s expired date. Time to build a new organisation, minus the terrorist countries.
“US, allies say Russia exploiting UN Security Council seat to shield itself”
It angers me that these oxygen thieves get lots of money to see a truth that we saw years ago already for free. What’s worse is that they won’t do diddly about it.
The UN is out of control. In a normal land with normal people, when you become a “member” of something, you have to follow the rules or lose your membership. If I get a gold membership and then the next day drive a tractor through all the greens, I would deserve to get kicked out and prosecuted. But at the UN you would get a standing ovation for killing thousands and thousands of innocent people.
This brings me to the point that wonders me, Red. Trump wants to exit stage left from NATO, but why not from the really useless entity UN? It’s also costing us lots of money and for what results?
I doubt he is for staying in the UN, most Conservatives would rather save those billions and billions of dollars. Last I looked, the US was paying around 23% of the UN bills while the Moscow Marauders were paying less than 5%…and they have the same rights.
I’m not buying it that he wants to leave NATO. He could have done that before. Secondly, he whined about NATO countries not meeting their 2% requirement and guess what? Many coughed it up.
Then there were countries like Poland and the Baltics that were paying their shares and he moved military bases there. Those are friends. Remember the BIG fucking scandal when he moved troops from Germany to Poland? The media thought he was evil but now it looks like it was a good idea.
Last, many people take a position but it is just an opening position. Then when they negotiate and give up 50% of what they wanted, it is still a victory.
Reagan used to say, “You’re unlikely to ever get all you want.”
At this point, I must say that I was very much for what Trump told the freeloaders in Europe. As a matter of fact, I was glad that a president finally told them off in this respect. It’s too bad that they never moved fast enough to up their defensive capabilities, as we now see would’ve put everyone in a better position to help Ukraine.
That goes for RuSSia and Ukraine alike.